Vernal and Flaming Gorge

Also, be sure to pick up a tour guide. Many of the rock art examples are hard to see if you don't know where to look. At the end of this tour, you'll come to the Josie Morris Cabin. The story of Josie Bassett (no, we don't know why it's called the Josie Morris Cabin since her name was Josephine Bassett) is of a woman living alone in the wilderness. She died in 1964 after a fall on the ice while feeding her horses. She was 90 years old at that time.

If you enjoy seeing rock art,Nine Mile Canyon might be a good trip from Vernal. This activity will take all day, but is well worth the effort to see some of the most interesting geology and best preserved rock art in the southwest. Starting from Vernal, you'll travel southwest along Utah Highway 191 to Wellington. As you leave Wellington to the east, you'll notice Nine Mile Canyon on the left. While it's called Nine Mile Canyon, it's actually over 70 miles in length. If you don't have a description of the canyon auto tour by the time you get there, there's a gas station on the corner as you turn left out of Wellington. Stop there and pick up a brochure from their display rack on “Exploring Nine Mile Canyon”.

The Hunt, a pristine petroglyph in Nine Mile Canyon. Photo by Chet Parks

A couple of things to remember about Nine Mile Canyon. First, there are no services along this road. Bring your own water and lunch. Make sure your tires are in good shape, and you have a spare. You'll be traveling on dirt roads the entire length of the canyon, and that can be rough on tires. It will be helpful to have a guide book or pamphlet with you. Rock art is difficult to see if you don't know it's there. You'll occasionally be crossing private land, so pay attention to no trespassing signs. Also, remember that this is oil country. There are many large vehicles operating back in this area, so pay attention.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Photo by Chet Parks

A stop that has nothing to do with dinosaurs or rock art, but still in the area and well worth the trip is the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Located north of Vernal, just on the Utah and Wyoming border, this 200,000 acre recreation area is home to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which is created by the 500 foot Flaming Gorge Dam across the Green River. It's thought that Major John Wesley Powell named the area after observing the sun reflecting off the red rocks in the canyon.

Fishing is reportedly good at Flaming Gorge. In a normal year, several trout and salmon are caught that exceed thirty pounds. The record was a lake trout that weighed in at over 51 pounds.

While Flaming Gorge is a final destination for thousands of visitors yearly, it can also be a simple trip to get into higher altitude and out of the heat, or an overnight stop if you're headed north or south from I-80. Whatever the reason, it's likely that if you venture into Flaming Gorge on just a day trip, you'll most likely make a mental note to come back for a long stay when you have time.